Sunset Trails
by JustAnotherSensitiveArtist
Summary: There's a new witch in town and she poses problems for the Salvatore brothers.  What will happen after Damon's first confrontation with her? Some major Hurt! Damon to come in later chapters...
1. The Little Witch Bitch

At first thing he noticed was the lull of voices somewhere in the distance before him, but dark murkiness still held him tightly. What had happened? He couldn't remember… something about the grill? Yes, that was it!

_A group of teenagers entered the grill with their cocky smiles and obnoxiously loud voices. He hadn't paid much attention to them at first but they had been eyeing him the whole night so he began to feel a little uneasy. Perhaps it was time for him to snap some necks; no one would miss these delinquents anyway__. _

_It wasn't until that girl entered that he realized something bad lurked in the air. She was thin and tall, walking with a sway as she gracefully pushed the door open and strewed towards the table of rowdy teens. They all quieted upon seeing her and smiled. Menacing smiles, like the menacing air that seemed to be expelled from the very pores of the girl. She had blonde hair and blues eyes, the perfect picture of a prom queen. "The perfect bitch who always wins," Damon thought with a small smile. But she was bad news and he could tell simply from looking at her. She was a witch – this kind of power only came from powerful, evil witches and Damon felt an icy chill run up his spine._

_He had decided to leave the grill early; Stefan would want to hear of the girl and her "minions" before they had a chance to stir up any trouble. He had left quickly, ducking out as the group of kids received their drink orders, but he knew that they watched as he exited. He reached the edge of the parking lot where the lights no longer cast their friendly glow and began to venture out into the darkness when he felt it. _

_It hadn't hurt, but was rather unpleasant. He suddenly felt vulnerable and weak. As he swayed, regaining his footing, he glanced over his shoulder to see Witch Bitch, her hands extended towards him with her palms out. She mumbled and as she did so he felt his senses dimming and his strength diminishing. A panic began to set in and acid had crept its way up the back of his throat, yet somehow he put on a coy face and walked forward in her direction (careful to keep his steps strong and breathing even as he felt fear rise within his gut). _

"_Hey honey," he said with a smile, walking closer. She frowned __and finished her mumbo jumbo muttering before returning his smile saying, "Nope dear, it should be goodbye honey!" Then something had hit him from the back. As he flew through the air, propelled by the force of a blue S.U.V., his only thought was wondering how in the world he did not hear the car as it approached his back. This thought flashed in the forefront of his mind as he collided with a concrete barrier and fell into the drainage ditch. As an unbelievable agony spread throughout his entire body, he was instantly granted the respite offered by darkness as it melted down his vision. _

**So what do you think guys? I know it's short but let me know what your initial thoughts are. Should I continue? What did the witch do to Damon (beside hit him with a car)? Any Ideas for the next chapter? **

**JustAnotherSensitiveArtist **


	2. Everything Hurt!

Everything hurt! Everything hurt so damn much, he had never experienced so much pain in his life! Pain – that was all Damon could think about and it took the realization that his throat not only hurt but that he also tasted his own blood to bring him back into full consciousness. He had been yelling. How log had he screamed for? His throat was so raw that it felt as if he had dinned on sandpaper. Why was no one hearing him? Why was he in agony? "Come on!" he yelled, willing his healing powers to take effect, willing someone to hear him, willing himself to be anywhere but in this half full ditch behind the parking lot of the grill.

Something told him that he couldn't just lie there forever; he had to get up and had to get back to the mansion. He would be okay if he could just get back home. Taking a deep breath, Damon rolled onto his stomach and tried to push himself up. Electric pain surged through his spine, down his legs, along his arms and out his finger tips. The world before him danced and became a mirage as the contents of his stomach filled his aching throat and were then expelled onto the grass. He screamed in agony. When his voice finally died the darkness overtook him.

"Hey, Damon! Damon, are you alright?" said a voice that seemed very bent on shattering his skull. "Damon!" the voice said again, imploring him to reply. Damon slowly opened his eyes, glad that it was still night as the sun would have tortured his head further. Matt crouched before him. "Hey…what happened to you?" Matt exclaimed as he surveyed Damon's injuries. "Dude, you need a hospital. Hold on, I'll call an ambulance," and he turned to do so but Damon shook his head and let out a low groan. "What?" Matt asked. Damon licked his lips and tried to clear his throat – everything was so foggy, he couldn't think. His entire body was throbbing but through it all there was a single name that came forward from the cobwebs of his mind, "Stefan," he whispered. "I'll call Stefan later. We have to get you help," "No, call Stefan!" Damon stated angrily, his head was killing him and even being assertive was a difficult task, "Get my brother here, he knows what to do," Matt hesitated but then nodded his head.

Stefan sighed when his phone began to ring. He was lying on his bed, Elena's head in his lap as she slept but the disturbance caused her to roll over, muttering in her sleep. He stood up and quickly took the phone out of the room.

"Hello?" he asked as he flipped the phone open. Matt answered, "Stefan, we need you at the grill! Something is wrong with Damon he… he is barely conscious, and he's been hurt really bad Stefan. He needs to go to the hospital but he won't let me take him or get any help. Please get here, he's asking for you," Stefan rolled his eyes, why did Damon always have to play games with people? He was, of course, fine and there was no need to cause trouble and frighten people. "Let me talk to him," Stefan said softly, feigning concern. There was a quick shuffling of air as the phone was moved and as soon as the other end was quiet Stefan started his lecture, "Damon is this really necessary? Must you always put on a show? God, Matt sounds scared to death, you really have him fooled. I'll come get you but you'd better cut the act, otherwise you'll end up having to explain to the hospital why you have no injuries yet everyone thinks you're hurt and if you've been hunting you're probably covered in blood! Why the hell did you go to the grill?" He waited for a sarcastic reply but heard nothing. "Damon?" he asked after several seconds. A weak voice came over the line, "Stefan…" and the pain in that voice made the air catch in his throat; something was very wrong. "Stephan… I… please, help me…" "Damon!" Stephan practically shouted, "What's wrong? Is this real? Damon, answer me, are you okay?" "Stefan, please… it hurts!" and a low moan fallowed those words. Stefan began to run before he even hung up the phone, "Don't worry brother, I'll be there in a few seconds!" and yet another moan answered him, this one almost a sob, filling his heart with fear.

**As usual, reviews are always appreciated. Let me know what you liked or how I could do better. Any ideas for the next chapter? If so tell me, maybe I'll use them. **


	3. I Could Never Leave You

Stefan fell to his knees beside Damon as he closed his phone. Matt turned and looked at Stefan, clearly confused.

"What the hell! How did you get here so fast?" he questioned, closing his own phone and returning it to his pocket.

Stefan turned away from his brother and locked Matt in a stare, "Matt, you will go back into the grill and you will not tell anyone about this meeting or anything about Damon. If someone asks you will tell them that you went out to get some fresh air on your break," he stated forcefully as he compelled Matt, "You will forget this meeting. Now go," he finished and Matt turned, walking slowly back towards the door of the grill.

Stefan looked back to his brother and felt his breath catch in his throat. Damon lay face down with his head pillowed on his clenched fists. Ever muscle in his body seemed to be straining and tiny shivers shook him every now and then.

"Hey," Stefan said as he placed a hand on his brother's face, turning it up so that he could see. Damon's eyes were pinched shut and his jaw was clamped so tightly that Stefan could hear his teeth as they scratched against each other. Once again Stefan felt a panic rising within him.

"Damon, open your eyes. Damon? Look at me…please?" and as he spoke these words he watched his brother's eyes flutter slowly open. When Damon saw his brother a tiny spark of hope blossomed in his ice blue eyes.

"Stefan… you came…" he panted, practically gasping in between words.

"Of course I did," Stefan replied, slightly hurt by the implication that he would not come when his brother obviously needed him so badly.

"Please Stefan… help me… it _hurts_!" and this time he was gasping, unable to even draw a breath as pain rocked his entire body

"Easy," Stefan said gently, laying a hand on Damon's should, "I'm going to get you back to the house and then everything will be okay. But first we have to get out of here," and he reached one hand beneath Damon's legs and another around his back, swinging him up into a fireman's carry but even that little movement was too much for Damon and he screamed. The cry was loud, expressing excruciating pain at the movement, and Stefan felt as if his heart had just been ripped from his chest.

"Oh my God, Damon I'm so sorry. Shit, are you okay? I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry!" but Damon's only reply was to bury his face into Stefan's neck and whimper, praying that his consciousness would slip away, praying that Stefan would stop moving, praying for anything to make the pain subside.

"It's going to be okay. I have to get you back to the house and then I swear I will fix this," Stefan said, partially to reassure himself because he knew that this trip, even at lightning speed, was going to be a long, rough one.

Ever movement sent jolts of agony through Damon and he sobbed into Stefan's shoulder, too exhausted and hurt to feel ashamed. "I'm dying," he thought, "Nothing else could be this torturous," and as he thought this he allowed the impending darkness to take over and he slipped back into unconsciousness.

Stefan felt the moment that Damon slipped away from reality. He tightened his grip on his brother and ran at full speed now, no longer afraid of jostling Damon's injuries, "I've got to get him home. He can't feel this now, we just have to get back before he wakes up again," he thought to himself, running faster than he ever had before.

Stefan burst through the door, thankful that for once the house was empty of heartbeats; Elena mast have decided to go home after waking up alone. That was good, Stefan didn't need any distractions at the moment.

He raced upstairs to Damon's room and slid his brother gently beneath the covers. Stefan started to run to the cellar to get blood but about halfway there he heard Damon's strangled cries and did an about-face, skidding to a halt and running back.

Damon thrashed in the bed, crying out hoarsely as he arched his back, trying anything to lessen his torture. Once again Stefan's heart felt as if it was being ripped from his chest. He rushed onto the bed and grabbed Damon, holding him down.

"Damon! Easy Damon! Listen, you gotta hold still. Please hold still, you're going to hurt yourself even worse!" Stefan pleaded. Minutes passed and nothing changed, Damon still cried out over Stefan's desperate pleas and was unable to still his body as it writhed against the agony.

At last Stefan changed his tactics. He pulled Damon into his lap and held him protectively. Unsure of what else to do, he began to sing softly in Italian. The song that came to his mind was called The Loon and it had been a lullaby that Damon had used to calm Stefan when they were younger. As he sang, his voice began to fill the room with a rich baritone and, gradually, Damon's screams and cries faded into muffled sobs and his thrashing ceased. Stefan placed one hand on Damon's shoulder and the other on his temple and rubbed small circles there.

"Try to relax," Stefan whispered, pressing his fingers a little harder into the taught muscles of Damon's shoulder. His actions were met with a moan but at last the muscles beneath his hand began to soften. He stayed there on the bed, supporting Damon and gently rubbing, for hours until at last his brother had drifted into sleep.

Stefan didn't want to leave but he needed to find out what had happened to Damon. He needed to go to the grill and check some things out. Why wasn't Damon healing and what was causing this torment that had befallen his brother? He couldn't leave his brother alone though. He finally decided to call Alaric and was moving out from beneath Damon to find his phone when Damon's eyes flashed open and his hand flew out to grab Stefan's wrist. Damon's grip was weak but the grip of his eyes was still intense.

"Please don't… don't leave me!" he panted as tears welled up in his eyes, "I'm so sorry!" he gritted through clenched teeth, "Please… need you…"

Stefan was immediately back in position with his brother in his lap. "Hey, it's okay," he said gently, "We are gonna get you out of this, okay? Just calm down," and he began to massage Damon's back soothingly, once again feeling the muscles beneath his hands go slack.

"Don't… go…" Damon pleaded, riding out yet another wave of torture and allowing Stefan's rubbing hands to ground him with reality and ease some of the pain.

"Never," Stefan replied, "I could never leave you,"

**So what do you think? You had some brotherly fluff, do you want the next chapter to be Delena or do you want more Stefan and Damon? Give me some ideas and review! (I won't post anymore until I have some feedback). **


	4. Need You Now

Stefan sat with Damon pulled into his lap for hours. As his brother dozed, Stefan laid his cheek to rest atop Damon's head and continued to hum The Loon softly.

Meanwhile, Damon's unconscious mind wrestled with itself. Somewhere within his head a little voice began to make sarcastic remarks about how very baby-like he was being.

"Toughen up Damon, you're really gonna let your little brother coddle you like this?"

But a weak, more vulnerable part of him argued, "But it hurts! It hurts so bad and… and Stefan… he makes it better…"

"Don't be such a baby! Sure it hurts, but you need to rough it out. You don't need anyone,"

"I need my brother,"

"Deal with it. And please, grow up and be a man!"

This steam of bickering was cut short when Damon felt his brother move out from underneath him again. Screw what the voice said, he did need Stefan and he wasn't going to let him leave. Damon's eyes flashed open and he sat up, reaching for Stefan's arm but the movement sent waves of agony through his protesting body. He fell back onto the pillow, teeth set and eyes clenched shut, desperately fighting for breath and trying to stamp down the pain before it overwhelmed him.

Then, like an angel, Stefan was beside him again, his hands carding through Damon's hair.

"Easy," he said gently, "I'm right here, just calm down,"

When at last Damon had managed to do so, Stefan moved back a little, talking all the while, "I'm right here but I have to check out the damage, okay? I need to see what's happened to you… do you think you could tell me?"

At first Damon began to explain, "S-Stefan I… it… it was…" but even speaking was too hard and he had to stop, fighting back the nausea that rose up his throat. At last he looked up at his brother and shook his head gently. No. No, he could not talk about it and no, this wasn't going to be okay and no, he didn't feel like he would ever be "Fine" again!

"It's alright," Stefan stated, "I'm just gonna see what I can do for you. You can tell me what happened later, don't try right now," and with that Stefan pulled back the covers to expose his brother and gently began to unbutton his shirt.

Stefan pulled Damon's black shirt open and was appalled to see that the skin underneath was such a deep purple that it nearly matched the fabric. Bruises covered every inch of Damon's chest and Stefan felt sure that beneath it all there must be some cracked ribs. To confirm this he lightly ghosted his hands over the area. Immediately Damon cried out, unable to hide the pain that even the slightest pressure brought on.

"Yupp, broken," Stefan thought as he began pulling the sleeves off Damon's arms. This caused yet another yelp.

Stefan had barely begun removing Damon's dark jeans when his brother screamed in pure anguish. The screams were terrified and shrill, expressing excruciating torture and growing higher in pitch and louder in volume as Stefan continued to tug. Beginning to panic, Stefan bit into his own wrist and forced it to Damon's mouth shouting, "Drink! Drink and it will heal you!" but the blood filled his brother's mouth and spilled out, overflowing with ever sob that Damon emitted. Damon's eyes slid slowly back into his head and his body went lax but the blood continued to flow into his mouth until he starting choking.

The choking sounds brought Stefan back to his senses. He removed his wrist from Damon's mouth and turned him onto his side, smacking his back none too gently to bring the blood up and out of Damon's airways. With a huge cough, blood spurted from Damon's mouth and he dragged in a pained breath.

Taking advantage of Damon's unconsciousness, Stefan ripped Damon's jeans away, leaving him exposed in only a pair of navy jockey shorts.

"Holy Hell!" Stefan gasped as he surveyed the damage to Damon's lower half. His brother's entire left leg looked damaged. The ankle was huge and puffy, several of his toes were broken and stuck out at odd angles, the calf a mass of bruises, the thigh had a gash which must have just clotted, and worst of all was Damon's hip. The very bone seemed to have dislocated itself.

Stefan fought the urge to throw up and turned to look at Damon's back. A dark bruise just barley poked above the elastic of Damon's shorts but it spanned the width of his entire lower back and a knot on the back of his head showed trauma to the upper neck and base of his skull.

Stefan started the process of patching his brother up. At the very least he needed to bandage Damon's lacerations, bind his ribs, check for a concussion, set all of the breaks, ice the bruises, and somehow pop his hip back into its socket. At the thought of this last task he felt sick yet again.

Caring for Damon had been awful. Even in his unconscious state, Damon would cry out at anything that shifted him even in the slightest, and Stefan would cringe, wishing he could somehow melt into the floor. At last Stephan finished the last task on his list, yanking mercilessly on Damon's leg until he heard it crack sickeningly back into place and shoving his hands over his ears until his brother's blood-curdling scream ended. He then hurried to the bathroom and returned with several different types of pain medication. He selected the strongest and then propped Damon up, ignoring the gasps and lines of pain that appear across his face, and forced him to swallow two of the little white pills. Then he placed several blanket back over his brother's still form.

Stefan then pulled out his cell phone and dialed Elena's number. "Elena's answering service," a male voice answered playfully, "Sorry but my sister is not available at the moment,"

"_Great_, it's Jeremy," Stefan thought with a sigh. "Look, I need to talk to your sister. Please Jeremy, now is not the time for games,"

Jeremy's tone suddenly became serious, "Oh, err, hi Stefan. Sorry, Elena really isn't here. She forgot her phone when she left. What do you need?"

Stefan sighed yet again. He needed to investigate the grill before the trail got cold. Maybe he would find something there that could help Damon. Anyway, he had to go to the grill and _now_ but he couldn't leave his brother alone. With yet another sigh, Stefan explained the situation to Jeremy who got in the car and headed for the Salvatore house before he even had all the details.

When Jeremy arrived Stefan took him to Damon's room, set him in a chair beside the bed, and gave him some instructions, "If he wakes up, which he shouldn't, give him some of the pain meds. Keep him calm and make him drink some water. But before you do any of that call me. Call me the second he wakes up and I will come right back. I will get back as soon as I can," then he gently cupped Damon's cheek with his hand and tussled his brother's hair fondly before speeding out of the room.

"Damon?" Jeremy asked after several minutes. He stood and went to the bed, gently pulling the blankets away from the sleeping man's body and gasping at what he saw, "My God Damon! You look like shit, what the hell happened to you?"

Jeremy returned to the chair beside the bed and stared at Damon. He only felt shock. How could this have happened? Damon was supposed to be immortal: invincible. He was Superman. But even Superman couldn't stand against kryptonite. Jeremy just hoped that Stefan could find the answer to what exactly was Damon's kryptonite.

Damon began to wake up and dearly wished that someone would just hit him with an anvil and let him retreat to blessed darkness once again. He could feel ever muscle fiber straining and screeching in agony. He felt as if some beast were slowly clawing him apart. That's when he noticed the heart beat in the room. Stefan wasn't there but somebody else was. Damon clenched his teeth once again and forced his eyelids up.

At first he felt relief when he saw Jeremy; at least his brother had not gotten Elena to witness him in this humiliating state. But having a human in the room meant that he could not show weakness. He would be strong because he had to be.

Jeremy noticed that he was awake, "Damon!" he exclaimed, making Damon's head want to explode. Why was he talking so loud? Damon shrank back against the headboard but Jeremy wasn't taking a hint. He advanced with a bottle of pills in his hand and continued talking, "Stefan said to make you take these. Hey you're not looking so good… are you okay?" and Jeremy reached a hand out to pat Damon's leg, not knowing the injuries that lay beneath the covers.

The instant Jeremy's hand connected with his leg Damon literally thought he would die. Lightning shot up the length of his leg, slammed into his spine, and dissipated out every nerve ending. Damon opened his mouth but couldn't even scream. He just lay there with his mouth agape; lips stretched tight back, exposing teeth, but not making a sound. Jeremy, shocked yet again, took several steps back and Damon slowly collapsed in on himself, starting to curl up until feeling his injured ribs which sent yet another jolt of pain. He tried to ride out the pain but he couldn't speak, couldn't breath. He finally grated out one panting sob, "Stefan!" and then agony erupted from his leg and his chest as the bed was jostled slightly and that one whimpered word became a desperate scream, "STEFANNNN!"

**Thank you so much to my lovely reviewers (although there were only 6 of you and I would love more), you are the reason I write. As always, read and review please. Let me know what you want to happen in the next chapters ect.**


	5. Some Answers

Stefan entered the grill and immediately felt the chill in the air; a tell tale sign of dark magic. He lowered his gaze, breathing deeply and walking forward to pin down the source. When he looked up to see where the magic was coming from he almost laughed. An acne ridden teen with greasy red hair that hung down to his shoulders sat alone in one of the corner booths. He wore clothes that were too big and concealed almost all of his pale skin and looked like any skater kid on the street but his amused grin and the evil glint in his eye told Stefan that he was much more dangerous than he was letting on.

Stefan slipped into the booth's bench, opposite the teen and leaned forward; bring his voice down to a whisper, "Warlock?"

The kid laughed, amused, "Yes, my good _vampire,_ but I'm really just a messenger today. Don't worry, I wont be using my abilities to throw you across the room or in front of a car… oh wait! That was saved especially for your brother!" and then he burst into a fit of laughter.

Stefan's fists clench and he had to bite back an angry reply. Instead he snarled out, "You are a messenger so get to it and deliver your message!"

The kid frowned, angry at having his fun interrupted, but then put on a shit-eating grin and delivered an obviously rehearsed speech, "My name is Andrew Ofentrel. I am a member of the Willow Creek Coven. Cynthia is our leader, our queen if you will. She has decided that our coven will be residing here in Mystic Falls. Her little stunt with your brother, consider that a warning. We are more powerful than any of your kind; more powerful than your little Bennit witch. We only wish to be left alone during the duration of our stay here and left to our business. I'm sure you understand," he then rose and turned to leave the grill, "Oh, and send my regards to Damon," he said with another wicked smile.

Stefan sprung up, clutching Andrew's arm tight enough to make the boy squirm and practically spat out, "What has Cynthia done to my brother? How do I reverse it?"

The kid smiled once again, "Well, I'm sure Cynthia would want you to know the gory details. I believe she threw him into a car and then against a concrete wall. Sadly, I wasn't there to witness the festivities. She has suspended his healing powers but there is no telling for how long, she can give them back and take them away whenever she wants so I wouldn't recommend sending poor old Damon to the hospital; he might just make a sudden miraculous recovery that could expose your kind to all of Mystic Falls, and we wouldn't want that. Oh, and she's probably having fun with Damon's nervous system, see she basically hotwired his nerves. That way she can subdue him into a weeping little ball on the floor if need be. But don't worry, right now she doesn't need to do that, I'm sure he's in excruciating pain as is,"

Stefan flinched through out the description of what had happened to Damon and by the end of Andrew's speech he found himself wanting to rip the throat out of this Cynthia chick.

His voice shaking with anger, he addressed Andrew, "So where is Cynthia? I think she and I need to have a talk!"

The young warlock shook his head, "No can do amigo. She wouldn't want you to know our hide out. But don't worry, I'm sure you will meet her soon," then his eyes flashed a milky white for a second as he had a vision, "Uh oh, you'd better get back, I think Damon may need you!" and with that he snapped his fingers, momentarily paralyzing Stefan, and strolled out the front door leisurely while the vampire desperately tried to move to fallow.

Just as the paralysis broke, Stefan's phone began to ring "What?" he answered, exasperated.

Jeremy's voice can over the line, barely audible over the screams emitting from Damon, "Stefan! Get back here now! I don't know what happened. I got pain meds down him but… I… he just… Stefan, we need you!"

By the time Jeremy finished saying this Stefan was already halfway back to the mansion.

He reached the door seconds later and practically flew upstairs to Damon's room, shoving Jeremy back away from his injured brother and hissing, "Don't touch him!"

He then knelt beside the bed and began whispering softly, taking Damon's hand in his own, "Easy, easy, I'm right here. It's alright now. Try to calm down, it will hurt less,"

Damon's screams turned to sobs and he wrenched his hand from Stefan's, grasping his brother's shirt instead and pulling him in closer. "S-Stefan… it _hurts_… so bad… _please make it stop_!"

Stefan felt overwhelmed with pity, sorrow, and regret. This was all wrong! Damon wasn't supposed to get hurt. Damon wasn't supposed to show weakness. Damon was supposed to be the sarcastic and slightly annoying constant in his life.

He reached a hand out and rested it on Damon's forehead, shocked when he felt the heat of a fever burning away beneath his palm. It was so odd for his brother to fall into pained fits and be struck by fever; it was so very… human.

Stefan turned to Jeremy, who was now cowering beside the door, unsure of what to do but thankful that at least Damon wasn't screaming anymore.

"Jeremy, I need you to go get ice, a large bowl of cool water, and several towels. Damon has a fever and we must bring it down," Stefan stated calmly, speaking slowly as if to a dumb child instead of the competent young man who stood across the room. Jeremy nodded and headed for the kitchen.

Stefan climbed onto the bed and once again pulled Damon against him. "Easy," he soothed, brushing the hair out of Damon's fever-bright eyes.

Damon shuddered and began to shiver, "'S cold Stef…"

Stefan's heart ached but he smiled sadly, "It's the fever, Damon. Hold on, it will pass,"

Jeremy returned with ice, water, and towels and set them on the bedside table and then stood, looking worriedly at Damon's pale face.

"Thank you, Jeremy," Stefan said tiredly, "You can go home now, you don't have to stay here,"

"But I want to help," Jeremy protested

Stefan sighed, "Okay but you've done everything you can right now. I need to do this and you can't help, unskilled hands could make things worse. Go down stairs and get some rest,"

Jeremy nodded, "Just yell if you need anything," he said as he left.

Stefan dipped a cloth into the cool water and laid it across Damon's forehead gently. He then filled several towels with ice and wrapped them up, placing the bundles on various injuries across Damon's body. He figured he might as well kill two birds with one stone, icing the injuries to keep the swelling down and cooling his brother's body temperature at the same time.

Damon moaned and tried to move away from the ice packs, flinching and grating out, "Too cold!" but Stefan held them in place.

"I know, but you need it. We have to get you cooled off," Stefan stated, flinching sympathetically when Damon let out a sharp breath as the ice touched his injured chest.

After a long while Damon's fever began to break and he became more coherent, the pain medication taking the edge off.

"You're sadistic, you know that right?" Damon asked, a pained smile crossing his lips.

"What?" Stefan asked, confused.

"You wanted to be a doctor… I bet you're enjoying ever moment of this," Damon said jokingly.

Stefan, offended, pulled Damon up closer against him and took his brother's hand, "How could you even joke about that? I was worried sick about you, I still am! I thought… I mean… I could have lost you Damon!" and he tried to force down the emotions that surfaced with this thought, his eyes filling with unshed tears.

Damon tightened his grip on Stefan's hand, "Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I know this is hard for you. It's just… you've taken care of me and you're really good at this kind of stuff, you would have made a great doctor."

Stefan smiled and absenmidedly stroked Damon's hair, "Thanks,"

They sat in silence for a while until Damon let out a choked gasp and wrapped an arm around his middle, practically doubling over in the bed.

"Damon! What's wrong?" Stefan asked, laying his brother flat.

"I don't know. I… _owww_… it's starting to hurt again. Stefan please, help me! I don't want it to hurt!"

"Calm down," Stefan said, fighting down his own panic and reaching for a bottle of pills on the table, "It will be okay, just give me a second," but he read the bottle and noticed that they could only be taken once every eight hours. "Shit!" he said under his breath then, "Damon, you can't have anymore of this for a while. Now tell me something else that you think might help,"

"B-blood…" Damon panted, still gripping his middle.

"Jeremy!" Stefan shouted towards the door and soon after Jeremy ran in.

"Jeremy he needs blood…" the teen didn't even hesitate, he rolled up his sleeve and rushed to the bedside, brandishing his wrist in front on Damon.

"N-not Elena's little brother," Damon protested weakly, "A bag… from the basement,"

"No," Stefan said firmly, "Fresh blood will be better. It might help you faster. And Jeremy is willing,"

Jeremy nodded, "Please Damon, take it,"

Damon started to answer but pain rocked him and all he could do was gasp, shaking his head.

Stefan took Jeremy's wrist in his hands and brought it to his own mouth, biting as gently as possible but still making Jeremy flinch and let out a sharp exhale. Jeremy then pressed his bleeding wrist to Damon's lips, knowing the urge to feed would be too great for the injured vampire to resist. Damon slowly began sucking down the blood.

After several minutes Damon let out a satisfied moan and leaned back against the pillow. At the same time Jeremy let out a moan and dropped dizzily towards the floor. Stefan saw it coming and rushed forward, catching the younger man beneath the armpits and hauling him onto a chair that sat beside the bed.

"Oh God!" Damon exclaimed, painfully trying to sit up, "Jeremy!"

"I'm alright," Jeremy slurred, "Just let you have a little too much," and he tried weakly to smile.

Stefan ran from the room but returned in a flash, a glass of water in his hand, "Here, drink this," he said gently, handing Jeremy the glass but still holding onto it so that the boy didn't spill it as his hands shook violently.

"Why didn't you tell me to stop?" Damon demanded, growing angry.

"You needed it!" Jeremy exclaimed.

"Stefan! I could have killed him!" Damon spat.

"But you didn't," Jeremy said, "Look, it's okay. You needed it and I let you take it. It isn't his fault.

"Yes it is! He knew what I was doing to you and he didn't even warn me! I'm not willing to sacrifice anyone, especially not Elena's little brother, for my well being and I…" before he could finish a wave of agony went up his spin and he stopped short, letting out a cry.

"Damon!" Stefan and Jeremy shouted together, rushing to his side as he curled into a ball in the center of the bed.

**Once again, thank you so much to my lovely reviewers! Please read and review and tell me what you think. If anyone has any suggestions for the next chapter please let me know, I really do listen to you guys. **


	6. Is It Over?

Cynthia perched on a tree branch just outside a window of the Salvatore house, smiling as she watched the chaos ensuing in Damon's room and continuing to mumble a spell under her breath. Damon writhed desperately in agony, Stefan tried to hold him down and speak comfortingly, Jeremy covered his ears, trying to keep himself from getting sick and fell back into the chair, dizziness taking over.

Damon screamed louder, thrashing and fighting off Stefan's hands. He clutched his head, pulling out locks of raven hair.

"No Damon!" Stefan shouted, "Stop! You're hurting yourself!"

Unable to heed Stefan's warning, Damon clawed desperately at his back and shoulders, his nails leaving bleeding furrows. Stefan, horrified, threw himself on top of Damon, using his body weight to pin him to the bed.

"Jeremy!" Stefan screamed, "Go and get some rope from the garage!"

Jeremy hurried off and Stefan struggled to keep Damon down and his arms pinned at his sides. When Jeremy returned with several ropes Stefan grabbed them, lashing them around his brother's wrists and then tying their other ends to the bed posts. He repeated the steps with Damon's ankles, only stopping when Damon was done being tied spread eagle to the bed. Damon still let out strained cries as he fought against his bonds but he was no longer able to hurt himself.

Cynthia let out an angry huff, _Stupid Stefan! She had wanted to watch Damon tear himself apart in a desperate attempt to lesson the pain_. She let out a whispered breath and finished the incantation she had been reciting. As instantly as Damon's fit had started it stopped. _Oh don't worry my dear, there's plenty more where that came from!_ She thought, smiling to herself again and then leaping from the tree, disappearing into the night.

Stefan watched as his brother suddenly went limp in the bed and then it dawned on him – this was no natural ailment or injury. He remembered what the kid at the grill had said, something about the witch hotwiring Damon's nerves and anger welled up inside him. He was going to kill this girl! He turned to the window and threw it open, punching out the screen and inhaling the scent of the witch. She had been there. She had watched the whole thing, and no doubt the sadistic bitch had enjoyed it!

He was about to go out the window and pursue her when a moan from Damon drew him back inside. He went to the bed and began untying Damon from the bed posts. Only when he uncoiled the rope from his brother's wrists did he realize just how hard Damon had fought. His wrists and ankles were rubbed ragged, oozing blood and with the rope practically imbedded in some spots.

Stefan felt sick but managed to grate out some comforting words before making his way to the bathroom and returning with gauze and a roll of medical tape. He debated going back to get antibiotics or some sort of antiseptic but decided that stopping the bleeding was probably more important.

He placed several large pieces of gauze across the scratches on Damon's shoulders and back and then set about treating his wrists. Damon was too exhausted to make any protest; he just lay there, flinching and moaning. However, when Stefan wrapped his wrists in gauze and then wrapped his fingers around that, squeezing to stanch the blood flow, Damon began to whimper and tried weakly to pull away.

"It's okay, just have to stop the bleeding," Stefan soothed, "Shhh, it will all be over soon,"

"Hurts," Damon whispered.

Stefan struggled to hide the anger that he felt welling up inside him, "I know. And I'm sorry, but I have to do this. When I'm done maybe I can go find the witch and…"

Damon looked up at him with bright, wide eyes, "Witch?"

Stefan sighed and began to explain where he had been and what he had learned while Damon had been in Jeremy's care.

By the end of the story Damon was smiling sadly, "Looks like our little witch bitch has a grudge," he said, laughing weakly. The laugh quickly turned into a cough and then the cough a moan and Damon clutched his ribs.

"Easy," Stefan warned, placing his hands on Damon's chest.

Damon gritted his teeth and nodded, taking several long but shallow breaths to steady himself. Stefan checked the dressings on Damon's wrists, satisfied that the blood had stopped, and then proceeded to bandage his ankles.

"Stefan!" Damon hissed, he wanted his brother to stop, only a shred of dignity stopped him from begging his brother to stop pressing on the fresh wounds.

"Sorry," Stefan said, his heart aching at the thought of putting Damon in more pain, especially after his earlier fit, but he continued to press on the lacerations firmly, determined to stop the bleeding.

"Please…" Damon said, but Stefan continued to press harder, "_Please!_" he gasped, his breathing quickening and his vision slowly fading into a black tunnel. Stefan realized his brother was on the verge of passing out and quickly removed his hands from the wounds, rushing to grab the glass of water that he had brought up for Jeremy when he too had nearly blacked out. He forced the water to Damon's lips and splashed a little onto his face. Damon's icy eyes snapped open and he gulped some water in between pants.

"Next time… I say stop… you should… should really listen to me!" He gasped, too weak for his words to contain the venom that he had hoped for.

Stefan smiled sadly, "Yeah, but you're just being a baby about this, come on, I treated all your other injuries without any problems,"

"While I was asleep!" Damon said, exasperated, but he was too exhausted to be angry and Stefan knew it.

Stefan rearranged the pillows behind Damon's back and helped him lay down more comfortably, feeling how limp his brother was in his arms. He felt frightened but he couldn't tell Damon that. He needed to at least put on a strong outer front.

Once Damon fell asleep, Stefan sent Jeremy back downstairs to rest on the couch. He himself took the chair beside the bed and sat there brooding. Eventually he too fell asleep.

Cynthia returned during the night and watched the brothers sleep, an evil smile plastered on her face. "Ah, my little Damon, I'm afraid I've broken you too much. And broken toys are never very fun to play with. Shall we patch you up slightly? After all, in a good game of cat and mouse the mouse needs to be able to run. And then once he is caught… well we'll get to that later," and with that she whispered a spell, her eyes flashing red, and returned Damon's healing powers. She waited only a few seconds, just enough time for bleeding wounds to stop and bruises to fade, then she snapped her fingers and immediately the healing stopped. "There you go my pet, still enough damage to render you useless but not enough to actually endanger your life," she flashed another malevolent smile and then left, whisked away into the night.

Damon woke up in the morning to the realization that, although he was sore, he was no longer experiencing blinding agony. He sighed in relief and slipped his feet over the side of the bed but just as he was doing so Stefan shot up out of the chair and raced to his side.

"Damon!" he snapped, "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

"Stef, it's ok. I'm alright now. I must have healed during the night!" and Damon smiled tiredly, "I think I'm just gonna go get cleaned up…" and with that he started to get up from the bed.

Stefan could sense Damon's weakness and he could still smell blood on his brother. Whatever the witch had done she hadn't healed him, Stefan was sure of that much. This thought was confirmed when Damon stood, then let out a pained cry, and began to fall towards the floor. Stefan darted forward, catching his brother and helping him back onto the bed.

"Take it easy, I don't think you're ready to go anywhere yet,"

Damon frowned and looked confused, "But I felt better…"

Stefan pulled off Damon's t-shirt and pajama pants to expose his injuries. Sure enough, the minor cuts had healed and even some of the major ones had closed. The bruises had faded from a deep purple to a lighter shade or even a sickening yellow. Still, when he felt Damon's ribs and injured leg he was met with gasps and balled fists.

"I don't understand," Stefan stated, "You're partially healed, all of your superficial wounds are gone or better. But underneath you're still very hurt…"

Damon made a pouting face and rolled to the edge of the bed, "Whatever, I want out of this room. Plus this is just gross!" he said, pointing to the blood stained sheets.

"You should really lie back down," Stefan protested but Damon continued to get up. "Fine! But at least let me help you to a chair. I'll get new sheets while you're up,"

Damon nodded and allowed his little brother to wrap an arm around his waist, putting his own arm over Stefan's shoulders and leaning heavily on the younger vampire. By the time they reached the far end of the room Damon was panting and barely even able to touch his injured leg but he still insisted on pressing on.

"Downstairs… to the couch…" he panted.

Stefan shook his head, "Why do you always have to be so stubborn? You won't be able to make it down the stairs!" but Damon just glared at him and continued limping down the hall towards the staircase.

Once they reached it he realized that Stefan was right and was about to suggest that they return to the bedroom when Stefan lifted him into his arms and carried him down the stairs and then across the living room to the couch in a flash.

"Thank you," Damon whispered, feeling rather defeated, slightly humiliated, and completely exhausted.

"No problem," Stefan answered, helping Damon lay down and spreading a throw over him, "Let me get you some blood,"

Damon saw Jeremy sleeping on the loveseat nearby and glared at Stefan, "Not him, get a blood bag,"

Stefan complied and disappeared to get one from the basement. When he returned he handed a warm mug to Damon and watched as his brother downed it hungrily. Stefan took some pillows and placed them beneath Damon's bad leg to elevate it. He then grabbed yet another blanket and spread it over Damon while he continued to drink. When Damon had emptied the mug he handed it to Stefan.

"How do you feel now?" Stefan asked.

"Much better," Damon said, "You know, maybe this whole thing is over now, I mean I think I'm starting to heal again…"

"Sort of," Stefan interjected. Then he looked sadly at Damon and shook his head, "This isn't over yet," and he turned to leave the room, "I'm going to go change those sheets, wake Jeremy if you need anything,"

Stefan walked slowly up the grand staircase, "No, this isn't over, it's never that easy…" 


	7. He Can't Take Much More

Damon adjusted himself, rolling his shoulders and gently contracting his sore muscles. Stefan was still worried but he himself was much less so now that he could move without searing pain shooting up his body. He was only really concerned about his chest and leg. Apparently they had taken the worst of his beating and hadn't healed all the way (or even most of the way).

He let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair, a feeling of disgust rising in his stomach when his hands encounter tangles and mud. With a frown, Damon slowly sat up and touched his feet to the ground. As if by magic, Jeremy's eyes flew open and he jumped up, hurrying to Damon's side.

"Woe, easy there, let me help you! Do you need Stefan?" Damon rolled his eyes; sometimes he could swear the kid had vampire senses.

"No, I don't need Stefan, I just need to go get cleaned up," he replied, giving Jeremy a rather annoyed glance as he shifted forward to stand.

The moment he stood he realized he was making a terrible mistake. Pain flared up his leg and made him gasp but immediately Jeremy was at his side, wrapping his arms around Damon's waist and taking most of his weight.

"Wait just a sec! Here, sit back down and let me get Stefan…"

"No!" Damon cut him off (there was no way he was going to have his brother help him into the bathroom, no way would he get any privacy if he showed him he was so weak, and then Stefan wouldn't let him out of his sight and taking a shower in front of your little brother? Well that was just way too humiliating!) "Just help me to the bathroom and then I'll be fine,"

Jeremy gave him a doubtful look but at last nodded. Besides, Stefan was obviously busy or else he would have been watching Damon.

Helping Damon to the bathroom was much harder than he thought it would be though. The vampire was heavier and taller than him and supporting most of his weight was difficult. They staggered down the hall towards the bathroom and every time Damon faltered beside him Jeremy's fear would grow. This was all so wrong.

When they reached the door of the bathroom, Damon mustered all of his strength and stood up to his full height, no longer leaning on Jeremy.

"You can go now," he said sternly, pushing the teen forcefully away from him. Jeremy ignored him, stepping forward to once again grip Damon's waist but the vampire had had it.

"Jeremy, you can go wait in the living room now, I'm fine, leave me alone!"

"But Damon…" the boy protested, only to find Damon cutting off his objection, "You will go to the living room now on your own free will or I will compel you to go! I mean it!"

Jeremy stepped backwards, his hands raised in submission, "Okay, okay! Just… yell if you need anything and… are you sure you're okay?"

"YES!" Damon answered, exasperated. Jeremy looked him over once again and then turned, retreating down the hall.

As soon as the boy had gone, Damon slumped against the door frame, closing his eyes and catching his breath. Damn, it sucked to be so vulnerable! He hobbled into the bathroom, mentally cursing himself every time the foot on his injured leg grazed the floor. He reached for the towel bar and drug himself forward to the tub, his chest screaming from the exertion. Perhaps it would have been a good idea to at least let the kid help him to the shower. He was weaker than he had thought.

At last he made it, throwing off his clothes and stepping over the edge of the tub. He was barely able to pull the shower curtain closed before he sank to his knees on the tub floor. The impact was jarring and he wrapped and arm around his middle and the other he pressed to his chest, trying to lessen the pain of his injured ribs and the deep bruising. After a minute of shallow breathing the ripping pain turned to a manageable dull ache. Damon reached out and turned the hot water knob all the way on. Water cascaded from the showerhead above him, freezing at first but gradually warming until it burned.

He let the hot water flow over him. It seemed to bring new life as it rolled over his shoulders and back, warming his body and relaxing his muscles. It was glorious. After a few minutes, he felt well enough to try to stand. Using the soap holder and the edge of the tub, he pushed himself up and leant against the wall of the shower. Standing hurt but he couldn't bring himself to kneel again. If he slipped he would have to endure the pain of the fall again and he wasn't sure that he could stand anymore piercing pain.

He shampooed his hair quickly and then set about applying body wash. His hands moved slowly and with light pressure, lathering his skin while determining the extent of his injuries. Stefan had been right; he still wasn't healed. He no longer had bloody wounds but his wrists still ached as did his shoulder. When his hands rubbed over his chest he had to bite back a cry. After that he wasn't stupid enough to feel his middle. It was obvious from the deep bruising and lingering pain that the broken ribs had not mended. His hand moved to his lower back and he rubbed gently at the sore flesh that wrapped from his lower back to his hip. He knew without feeling that his hip was still damaged. His entire left leg still felt mangled and he wasn't brave enough to bend over to fell along it for fear of agitating his ribs. But even with these injuries he still felt much better than before. A small smile crept across his lips and he ducked his head beneath the warm water to rinse his hair.

**Andrew's eyes flashed a milky white and the vision of Damon in the shower came to him. As soon as it ended he gasped and ran to the door of Cynthia's room. He threw open the door and hesitated until her look of annoyance became one of curiosity before announcing, "It's Damon! He… he's smiling…" **

**Cold anger flashed in her eyes but Cynthia laughed cruelly, "Is that all? Well we can fix that," then she lowered her head and began chanting. **

It felt as if someone had shot him in the head. Damon couldn't even react other than to let out a shrill scream and then drop like a rock.

Stefan had just finished making the bed and was taking the soiled sheets downstairs when he heard the agonized cry, almost inhuman in its desperate and feral sound. Immediately he threw down the sheets and rushed to find Damon.

Jeremy heard it too and suddenly felt sick. God, he never should have left Damon alone! He jumped off of the couch and ran towards the bathroom.

Stefan shoved the door open with such force that it slammed into the wall and yanked back the shower curtain. What he saw horrified him. Damon lay on the tub floor, clutching at his head, his mouth open in an agonized scream that didn't seem to cease. He was about to grab Damon when the seizure started. Damon suddenly went rigid and began twitching, his eyes rolling back and his now-silent mouth foaming. Stefan flew to his brother's side, bringing the shower curtain crashing down around them.

Jeremy arrived then, seeing Stefan and Damon both tangled in the shower curtain and the water still flowing out of the showerhead, drenching the brothers and the whole bathroom.

He ran to the tub and turned the water of, then turned an addressed the younger vampire, "Stefan, what do we do?"

Stefan looked up at him and cold fear filled Jeremy's heart. Stefan was on the verge of tears and his voice broke as he spoke, "I don't know…"

As suddenly as Damon's seizure had started it stopped. Where he had once been thrashing he was now totally limp in his brother's arms. Jeremy and Stefan both stared at him with horror but his pain-filled eyes flashed open and both sighed with relief.

"Thank God, Damon we…" Stefan began but then stopped, realizing Damon was whispering around his gritted teeth, "What, Damon?" he asked, leaning down to his brother's face.

"Stefan, please… kill… kill me!" he whispered.

"Damon!" Stefan gasped but his brother continued, begging with him now, "Please Stefan! Please… it hurts! Oh God it hurts! Stake me! Please… MAKE IT STOP!" his, voice rising in volume and desperation.

Faking composer, Stefan tried to calm Damon, "Okay, calm down, I'll fix this. Tell me what hurts and I swear I will fix this,"

Hope flashed in Damon's eyes but it wasn't enough to replace the pain, "My head… my back… spine," he amended, thinking of Cynthia's hold on his nerves before yet another wave of agony rolled over him and he was reduced to bawling incoherently into Stefan's chest.

**Andrew watched the scene in the bathroom through his vision, feeling rather sick after viewing the torture. As soon as he came out of it he glared at Cynthia, "Okay, stop, he's had enough," But she ignored him and kept chanting. "Cynthia, stop! He wants to die okay? I think you've made your point clear!"**

**She looked up at him angrily, "Fine, but that's what he gets for forgetting my hold over him," then her mouth broke into a grin and she added, "Plus that'll teach him who has the right to smile,"**

The searing pain ended abruptly but Damon was still in agony. Every muscle in his body felt as though it had been electrified. His head was on fire, his back even worse, and his ribs made it hard to breathe, every breath being more painful than the last.

Still, he looked up at Stefan, "It's over… she's done…" he panted. Stefan tightened his grip on Damon, hugging so forcefully that it hurt and grabbing his brother's hand tightly but Damon didn't protest, he just leaned into his brother and let the silent tears come.

After several moments, Stefan motioned to Jeremy, who stood like a frightened deer in the corner, telling him to get some towels. When the boy complied, Stefan extricated himself from the tub and stepped out, all the while keeping Damon's hand in his. He dried himself off slightly and then knelt beside the tub, wrapping Damon in a towel. He didn't really care that they would get water all over the house but he knew Damon's dignity would be forever ruined if he was carried naked through the house in front of a human.

"Damon," Stefan practically cooed, too afraid to put anything but comfort and love in his words, "I'm going to take you back upstairs, everything is going to be okay now," but at the mention of being moved a shudder ran down Damon's spine and he whimpered pitifully, trying to pull his hand out of Stefan's grasp.

"Jeremy," Stefan began, "I'm going to need your help, when we move him we must keep him as straight and flat as possible, it's going to take the two of us," when Jeremy nodded Stefan continued, "Stay with him, I'll be right back," and with that he placed Damon's hand in the teen's and sped into the living room. He ripped the top off of one of the European coffee tables and ran back to the bathroom.

Taking his place at his brother's head, Stefan instructed Jeremy to take his feet and told him that on the count of three they would lift Damon from the tub and onto the waiting tabletop. He hardened himself against Damon's pleas and desperate assertions that moving would be much too painful, ignored his brother's frightened sobs, and counted aloud to three.

"Three," Stefan practically shouted and he and Jeremy lifted Damon together, both matching the other's pace. Damon let out a sharp cry but Stefan and Jeremy both tightened their grip on him, hands immediately stabilizing and immobilizing injuries to minimize damage and pain. It was awful but honestly not as bad as Damon had expected. Once he was on the tabletop, Stefan and Jeremy lifted the each end, once again matching paces and keeping the board flat. They carried Damon into the living room and decided to stop there. The ascent upstairs would be very difficult.

Jeremy suggested that they put Damon back on the couch and at first Stefan rejected the idea, knowing that the rigid tabletop or even the floor would be better for someone with possible neck and back injuries. But in the end he relented, seeing Damon lying on the floor, exhausted with pain lines creasing his face and fists clenched at his sides would be too terrible. He deserved to at least be as comfortable as they could make him. They deposited him one the couch and Stefan covered him with a blanket.

"Th…thank you…" Damon whispered and Stefan smiled sadly, "You're welcome, get some rest now," as he watched his older brother's eyes flutter shut.

Stefan then took Jeremy by the elbow and pulled him into the hallway, "Jeremy, go call Bonnie, get her here. We have to get to the bottom of this, he can't take much more…"

**Wow, sorry for the long long wait! I love you all, didn't mean to blow this off. A special thanks to for prodding me until I actually got it done. As always, please read and review! Thanks so much.**

**JustAnotherSensitiveArtist **


	8. Wait For The Girls

Jeremy's conversation with Bonnie was brief and to the point. He told her the story of the witches and then described Damon's injuries before begging her to hurry to the Salvatore's. She agreed to come and said she would also bring Elena, who was with her. Jeremy thanked her and then returned to the living room.

Stefan knelt beside the couch, his hands ghosting gently over Damon's body in a comforting manner and continually murmuring sweet nothings to his brother. Damon occasionally moaned or whimpered and when he did Stefan would shush him.

"It's going to be okay," Stefan whispered, "Everything is going to be okay, Bonnie will fix this,"

"She's on her way, Elena too," Jeremy interjected.

At that Damon's eyes flew open, desperation and panic flashing behind them, "Oh god, Stefan no! No, no, no!"

"Easy Damon," Stefan cautioned, his hands never leaving his brother, "It's all going to be okay," but the terror in Damon's eyes didn't dissipate. "Jeremy, go and get him some more blood," Stefan said quietly, wanting to be alone with his brother. Jeremy left and for a moment Stefan was silent, just staring at his brother.

"Damon," he spoke softly, "What's wrong?"

Damon fought back tears as he answered, "Please Stefan, please don't let her see me like this!"

Stefan fought the absurd urge to laugh, "Honestly Damon, your vanity never ceases to astound me!" but he also felt his heart well up with pity, of course Damon wouldn't want to appear like this in front of the girl that they both loved.

Damon's breathing increased and his hands moved to press his chest and abdomen in an attempt to lessen the pain it caused. His eyes widened and he struggled to draw in a breath, "Please Stefan! _Please_…" he was gasping now, flinching with every breath.

"Damon, calm down!" Stefan ordered, getting up from the floor and sitting on the edge of the couch.

Damon just shook his head violently, repeating the word "no" over and over again until he was sobbing it.

Stefan felt a cold fear rising in his chest as he viewed his brother's panic, "Okay! Okay Damon, Elena won't see you like this! Stop, you have to calm down!"

This time Damon nodded but his hands tightened over his chest and the rate of his panting only seemed to increase.

Stefan fought down his own panic, trying to push the idea of Damon going into another seizure out of his head as he moved to aid his brother. He sat on the edge of the couch and pulled Damon's back against his chest.

"Match my breathing," he ordered, drawing in a careful breath before exhaling slowly. He could feel Damon fighting to do the same, his body literally shaking from the exertion. Stefan continued his slow calculated breathing until, at last, Damon drew in a single breath that matched his own. His older brother winced and bit back a cry, the depth of that breath sending ripping pain through his chest. But he was no longer hyperventilating.

Stefan smiled tightly, glad the crisis was averted for the moment, and moved out from under Damon, "If you don't want Elena to see you like this we'd better get you cleaned up,"

Damon nodded, thankful that he had at least gotten a shower in before the last borage of agony. Stefan lifted him from the couch, knowing the older vampire was too exhausted to even attempt walking. He sped up to Damon's room, depositing his brother on the bed and going to the large oak dresser in the corner. Stefan selected a black long sleeve button up and some dark jeans. The outfit would resemble Damon's typical wear and conceal most of his injuries.

Dressing Damon proved to be quite the chore. The older vampire was too tired to help with much of anything and too weak to conceal his pained gasps as Stefan tried to help him into the clothing. But at last he was dressed.

Stefan moved to lift Damon again but his brother objected saying only, "Shoes too,"

Stefan sighed but grabbed a pair of socks and the black leather shoes that had been carelessly tossed into the corner. Getting them on would prove to be worse than the other articles of clothing. Damon's left foot was still swollen and would have to be crammed into them.

Damon shot him a knowing glance and hardened himself as Stefan began the count down, "One…" Damon's entire body stiffened, "Two", he clamped his own hand over his mouth, "Three!" Stefan shoved Damon's foot into the shoe. Damon's screams were hardly muffled by his hand, his whole body spasmed, and he had to fight against the blackness that threatened to take over.

Stefan tried to keep his eyes and voice hard but inside he felt only horror, "Damon, if you weren't so concerned about your presentation you wouldn't have had to endure that,"

The look one Damon's face was heart breaking. He looked up at his younger brother with tear-filled eyes and spoke hoarsely, "She's worth it. And you know you'd do the same…"

It was now Stefan's turn to nod. He let out a sad sigh, "I'm sorry, you're right. Did I hurt you?"

Damon laughed at the stupidity of that question, "Yeah, just a little. But I asked you to. Guess I'm just masochistic. Help me downstairs now?"

Stefan picked him up and carried him down into the living room. He placed Damon in one of the Victorian armchairs and went into the kitchen where Jeremy was testing the temperature of a glass of blood.

He handed it to Stefan with a slightly sick smile, "Damon's order is up,"

Stefan laughed and took it, then asked him if he would go wait for the girls. Jeremy agreed and headed in the direction of the front door while Stefan returned to the living room.

Damon sat as tall as he could but his face displayed the effort that was going into this. Stefan couldn't help but notice his pain and exhaustion.

"You'll never fool her looking like that," Stefan began, "And you need to honest with Bonnie anyway so that she can figure out how to help you,"

Through gritted teeth Damon answered, "I will. Just… not while Elena's in the room. You distract her or something…"

Stefan snorted, "She's gonna know how bad off you are Damon, I'm sure Bonnie already told her,"

His older brother shrugged, "I just don't want her to see it…"

"Okay," Stefan said, "But you need to rest. That and you're practically rigid in that chair," and before Damon could protest he added, "If I can see that you're in pain and exhausted then I'm sure she will be able to too,"

Stefan grabbed Damon's waist and helped him up. His brother sagged tiredly into him but made no protest other than to ask, "What are you doing Stef?"

Stefan took most of Damon's weight onto himself before half dragging and half carrying his brother to a reclining chair beside the fire and answering, "You're going to sit in one of these. Trust me, it will hurt less and probably look more natural anyway,"

He deposited Damon into the chair and then pushed it so that it partially lay back. Damon sighed gratefully and went limp. Stefan had to help him drink the warm mug, he just didn't have the energy to hold it.

When he finished, he looked up at Stefan expectantly, "Glass of bourbon?" he asked.

Stefan let out an exasperated huff, "You've got to be kidding me!"

Damon cast his gaze down and murmured, "Wasn't gonna drink it. Just wanted it for appearances, you know?"

Stefan sighed but got a glass and filled it half way, placing it on the end table beside Damon.

His older brother looked up at him, "Thanks Stef," and his eyes shown with sincerity and gratefulness.

"Whatever," Stefan replied, rolling his eyes, but he felt slightly warmer inside just knowing that Damon was safe and as comfortable as he could be after the accident.

"One last thing," he said, playfully tussling Damon's hair until it was disheveled, "There, much better,"

Damon laughed and asked, "Now what do we do?"

Stefan cocked his head, hearing the sound of Bonnie's car in the drive, and answered, "Now we wait for the girls,"


	9. Family Comes First

Stefan gave Damon's hand a light squeeze, "I'll be back," he assured, moving away from his brother and into the hall. Jeremy was already opening the front door for the two girls.

Elena rushed forward, pushing past her younger sibling but Stefan caught her in a tight embrace before she could get further into the house.

"How is he?" she asked, casting worried glances down the hall towards the living room.

"He's been better," Stefan answered honestly. Bonnie hurried in with several huge spell books in her arms.

She looked shyly at Stefan, "I didn't really know what I would need, hopefully I'll get a better idea after I examine him," Stefan nodded, taking several of the books that teetered precariously atop her stack, then leading the way into the living room.

He would never get used to seeing his brother in such a horrible state. Even just seeing Damon's pallor as he walked into the room stunned him and he had to fight the urge to once again rush to his brother's side. The girls must have felt the same way; they both let out small gasps at the sight of the ailing vampire, fighting to stay awake in a chair next to the fire.

Elena practically ran to the chair, her hands going immediately to caress Damon's arm. At her touch, his eyes flew open. For a second his icy eyes met hers and she could see the pain, the exhaustion, the fear that he had forced down.

But almost as quickly as it was registered, it was forced away and Damon broke eye contact, glaring at Stefan and grating out, "Stefan, you promised…"

Stefan nodded and then took Elena by the elbow, "Come on Elena, Bonnie needs to examine him," Elena tried to protest but he tugged on her arm a little harder, "Please,"

She sighed, she didn't want to leave but hearing the pleading tone in Stefan's voice made her know that there was something more going on and the earnestness in his eyes told her he would tell her everything, just not here or now. She leaned down, kissing Damon's forehead but pulling back in alarm when she felt the heat of his skin.

Stefan motioned for Jeremy and he came forward, taking Elena's hand and pulling her from the room even as she continued looking over her shoulder.

When Elena left the room Damon let out a low moan and closed his eyes. He was so tired. So tired and his head was pounding. Bonnie moved to his side as did Stefan.

The witch gave the younger vampire an awkward look, "I'm gonna need help getting his clothes off…."

Stefan almost felt like laughing. Oh the irony that his brother would go through the agony of dressing to have the first request the little witch made to be him undressing. But stripping Damon was much easier than dressing him and his weariness didn't allow him to protest. After only a few moans and pained gasps, Damon lounged in the chair in nothing but a pair of black underwear.

Bonnie placed her hands on his bare chest before jerking them back with a sharp breath then looked at Stefan, confused, "Sorry, he just felt so… human… I guess I wasn't expecting that…"

Stefan nodded, knowing the feeling, and began to relay the tale of Cynthia. He continued talking even as Bonnie continued her exam.

Damon couldn't help but think that under other circumstances this situation might have been intimate, even romantic. Her cool hands caressed the pale skin of his chest, her eyes examining every part of him. It would have felt nice had it been a different time and place. But instead of being sexy it was painful. Her hands would come to an injury and he would have to bite back a cry, his teeth digging into his lips and his hands fisted in the fabric of the plush chair.

She maneuvered him onto his side, her hands following his spine and rubbing over the sore muscles beneath. When she hit the bruise on his lower back he couldn't stop himself. He let out a sob, trying to disguise it as a cough, and his breathing turned ragged. But Stefan knew better and was instantly standing over him, a comforting hand on his shoulder. Damon's hand reached out to clutch his brother's shirt and agony flared in his eyes.

"I think he's had enough, "Stefan said with more force than he had intended.

Bonnie looked up in surprise, "Oh… errr, sorry," she said, holding her hands up and taking several step away from the brothers.

Stefan realized that he had frightened her and shook his head, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just hard to see him like this… I… I feel like I have to protect him, take care of him… instincts I guess…"

Bonnie smiled slightly, "Don't apologize for that, family should always come first. He would do the same for you,"

Stefan tried to smile but found it hard to: would Damon really do the same for him? He wanted to believe so and yet he told himself he shouldn't. They hadn't been on the greatest of terms lately. Still, he loved his brother. And he still needed him, even after all these years.

Bonnie went to the couch and began flipping through the pages of her books, muttering a finding spell as she did. Stefan gently helped Damon to settle back into the chair again, careful not to jostle him. His brother seemed so fragile now, it truly was frightening. Damon's eye drooped in pure exhaustion and his grip slackened on Stefan's shirt.

Stefan took Damon's hand in his own and patted it lightly before placing it across his brother's chest, "Rest now Damon,"

But Damon just muttered something, his slitted eyes fighting to stay open as he weakly shook his head.

Stefan sighed; his brother was so stubborn. He left the chair and went over to Bonnie, "Any luck?" he asked.

She looked up at him with saddened eyes, "Nothing you're going to like to hear. This witch must be extremely powerful, only those with connections to an original witch from the other side have the power to revert a vampire to their human form,"

"And the reversal for her spells?" Stefan asked eagerly.

Bonnie's eyes grew even darker, "The reversal spell is extremely complicated. It requires the blood of the witch who cast the spell as well as the blood of her victim. And if the spell is removed by a witch of a lesser order then there can be possible side effects… I don't even know that I'll be able to lift it without hurting him further…"

Stefan had to fight back his emotions, he wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to go find the witch bitch Cynthia and rip her head off, "Bonnie you don't understand. This has to stop. You haven't seen what she can do to him. Bonnie, he… he asked me to stake him,"

Bonnie felt horrified but she had to admit that there was nothing she could do, "Stefan, our best bet is to negotiate with her, meet with her somewhere and figure out what she wants then exchange that for Damon's freedom from her curse,"

Stefan nodded his agreement, "Okay,"

Bonnie gave him a tiny smile, "I'll go home now and try a few locating spells, see if I can find their hide out, just let me get Elena,"

Stefan escorted her to the porch where Jeremy and Elena sat, both looking worried. Elena jumped up to demand an explanation but Stefan put his finger to her lips, "Go home Elena, I promise I'll explain everything later,"

When she started to protest he frowned, interrupting her, "Damon asked not to see you, I'm only protecting his wishes," it was a low blow but Stefan didn't really care at the moment. His brother had asked him to keep the girl away from him and he intended to do so. Hurt flashed in her eyes but she went silent, looking down at the ground.

"You go too Jeremy," Stefan ordered, "Both of you help Bonnie, we need to fix this now," the three humans shuffled of the porch and into Bonnie's car, leaving Jeremy's in the drive way. They sped away and Stefan could only pray that they would speed back soon with a magical cure or else with the witches' whereabouts.

Stefan returned to the living room to find Damon unconscious, finally giving in to sleep. He grabbed a throw from the couch and tucked it in around his brother, murmuring comfort when Damon moaned.

"Don't worry brother, I've got you. This will all be over soon,"

**Alright, so the plan is to finish this story by the end of March. I hope you liked this chapter, I'm thinking there will probably only be one or two more. Thanks for all of the support! And a big thank you to Chessie13 for giving me an idea for what to do in this chapter and to for being an amazing person and inspiring me to write!**

**JustAnotherSensitveArtist**


	10. Cynthia

**So first off, obviously my plan of finishing before March ended did not go over. Sorry about that, life's been crazy! Anyway, I won't bore you with my myriad of excuses; let's just get on with the story!**

Stefan sat beside Damon's sleeping form, watching his brother's chest rise and fall. It was painful and tedious to say the least. With every delayed inhale he would lean forward, ready to spring into action should Damon fail to breathe again.

He checked his cell constantly, paranoid that Bonnie would call and he would miss it and angry every time he found that she hadn't. He felt as if he would go insane. After hours of watching Damon sleep, he finally stood and began pacing the living room with superhuman speed.

At last, his phone rang and he stopped dead in his tracks, flipping it open and holding it to his ear.

Bonnie began to speak even before he had a chance to ask her what she had found.

"Stefan, we found her! She's in the woods, close to the old Lockwood place. We're headed your way right now!"

Stefan let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you Bonnie. But I can handle it from here. No one else needs to get involved, things could go badly…"

Bonnie cut him off, "Stefan, we're coming," and with that she hung up the phone.

A small chuckle rose from the chair where Damon lay and Stefan sped over to Damon's side. Damon smiled up at him wearily, "Ah, that little witch has spunk,"

Stefan laughed, but only half-heartedly, before turning to more practical matter, "How are you feeling?"

Damon made a face, "Fantastic, brother, never better,"

Stefan rolled his eye, "How about the truth?"

Damon shrugged but even that tiny movement caused him to flinch and Stefan nodded, "I thought so, here let me get you some more blood," and with that he left, returning moments later with a blood bag. Damon drank it greedily and Stefan feasted off the satisfaction of watching his brother eat.

"You have a pretty good appetite," Stefan observed.

"Yeah," Damon agreed, "Still feeling like crap though," Stefan cast him a sympathetic glace but Damon just shrugged again. For a while they just sat in silence but at last the doorbell rang and Stefan rushed to let Bonnie in.

Bonnie had brought everyone, much to Stefan's chagrin. Elena and Jeremy followed behind her like chicks behind a mother hen. They all came into the house without saying much. When everyone had congregated around the coffee table, Bonnie addressed Stefan, unfolding an old map of the Lockwood Estate, "Cynthia was right around here," she said, making a circular motion above the patch of forest, "So I'm assuming that she and her little band of witches are camped out here," she gestured to the old slave quarters, "We haven't really come up with a plan but I was thinking we could all just approach different sides and say that we come in peace, they wouldn't hurt us then right?"

At that both Damon and Stefan scoffed. Stefan stood up angrily, "That's suicide! Let me handle this, let me deal with her!"

Bonnie laughed, "She's a witch, you'll need a witch to bring her down,"

Damon growled in frustration, trying to push himself up from the chair, "And Jeremy and Elena are what? Civilian casualties?"

Elena placed a hand on his arm, "We want to help too Damon,"

"And get killed?" he snapped, "No way! No one is dying for me!"

The arguing went on for some time. Stefan and Damon both insisted that Elena and Jeremy should not go but the Gilbert siblings fought back, arguing that they needed to be there. Finally, Damon's shouts turned to coughs and then coughs dissolved into moans and the whole room fell silent, staring at him in horror as he panted to catch his breath, on arm wrapped protectively over his middle.

Stefan was beside him in an instant, his arm going around Damon's shoulders in an attempt to comfort, "Enough! We don't have time for all this," Damon nodded weakly, "We'll all go,"

At this Damon's eyes widened and he began to protest but Stefan silenced him with a glare, "That's final, now let's get going, we can worry about strategy in the car. Elena and Bonnie, go get all of the books on witches from the library, bring anything that might be helpful," After dismissing the girls, he turned to Damon, "Let's get you up,"

Damon tried to stand, he really did try, after all he still wanted to appear strong for the humans, but the second his legs took his weight the room started to spin and he had to reach out to Stefan. His brother grabbed his arm, steadying him, and Damon dropped his head, clutching it with his free hand.

"Headache?" Stefan asked.

"Umm… yeah…" Damon answered, teetering even more, "Not feeling so good Stef…" Jeremy moved to take Damon's elbow on the side opposite of Stefan.

"Let's just get you to the car, then you can rest," Stefan assured him but it was taking all of his strength not to just carry Damon there; still he knew that Damon would not be subjected to such humiliation around Elena.

Stefan and Jeremy half carried and half drug Damon as he stumbled along between them. A third of the way to the car, Damon turned a dangerous shade of green and by the time they reached it he had sweat beading on his forehead and upper lip. Stefan sent Jeremy back to help the girls, telling him that they should bring all the books to the car when they were done.

He waited until Jeremy was out of sight before turning to Damon, "How're you doing?"

Damon didn't answer, just nodded, but Stefan could see right through it and frowned. He brought his hand to his brother's forehead and the frown deepened, "You feel way too warm," Again Damon nodded but this time he managed a weak response ," 'S okay…"

Stefan let out a sigh but he released his grip Damon so that he could open the passenger's door. This was a mistake. Damon immediately crumpled, falling into the side of the car and letting out a very uncharacteristic whimper. Stefan mentally cursed himself, diving to catch Damon before he could fall to the ground.

"Hey, hey, hey, whoa! I've got you," Stefan reassured. Damon moaned, turning his head into Stefan's shoulder and Stefan sighed again, "Shoulda told me it was that bad,"

Damon spoke weakly, "Hurts so bad… making me sick…" and he swallowed harshly, trying to force down the bile that threatened to creep up to his mouth.

Worry crossed Stefan's face, "How long have you been like this?"

Damon's reply was so soft it was barely audible, "Started… when we were fighting… got worse," he stopped to catch his breath, "When I got up,"

Stefan shook his head angrily, "You've got to tell me these things,"

Damon produced a half smile, "Telling you now,"

"Seriously Damon, I could have just carried you if moving was so bad," When Damon didn't respond, Stefan moved to open the door again, this time without letting go of his brother, but Damon made a small sound and Stefan stopped, leaning in closer to hear, "What?"

"In back," Damon said, his voice like the whisper of the wind, and then added, "With you…"

Stefan opened the door to the backseat and helped Damon sprawl across it. No sooner had he done so than the door of the boardinghouse opened and the three humans stepped out, each loaded down with books. They put them on the floorboard of the passenger's side.

It took some discussion but finally Jeremy agreed to drive his own car and meet them on the Lockwood property. There was no room for him in Bonnie's car with Damon taking up the backseat. Bonnie went to the driver's side, Elena took shotgun, and Stefan sat in the back, pulling Damon's upper body into his lap.

The girls began to talk of strategies before they had even pulled out of the drive way. Stefan put his hand on Damon's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, kneading it gently when he felt the tension beneath his palm.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, leaning down so that he could hear the answer better.

"Feeling sick… and kinda numb…" Damon replied softly, "Think she's… think she might do it again… the nerve thing…" and Stefan could see the fear and the panic that flashed in Damon's eyes and he noticed the tears that pooled up within them.

"It's going to be alright, Damon. Just try to relax," Stefan felt some of the tension leave Damon's body with his words but he felt his own fear rising; what if Damon had another seizure? There wouldn't be any way to help him if they were in the car…

He leaned over once again, running his fingers through Damon's hair, "What can I do to help?"

"Blood?" Damon answered, but he sounded doubt full. Stefan could have kicked himself, how could he have forgotten to bring some blood bags? He decided to give his brother some of his own blood, vampire blood was supposed to have healing properties any way. He propped Damon against his chest and rolled up his sleeve, offering his bare wrist. Damon looked slightly shocked but he felt the subdued pain rising and finally accepted the offering, pulling Stefan's wrist to his lips and sinking his teeth into it.

Stefan smiled, feeling Damon's hunger and hearing the soft moans of relief that emitted from his brother. He looked up and saw Elena staring at him in the rearview mirror but when he met her eyes she quickly turned away, pretending to be deeply engrossed in yet another plan that Bonnie was relaying.

Damon gave way to exhaustion after only a minute, falling back against Stefan and refusing when Stefan offered his wrist again. This caused the worry lines in Stefan's brow to deepen even more and his hands went to Damon's hair again.

They arrived at the Lockwood property to find Jeremy already there and once again the ageing started. Everyone thought differently on how to get the witch to agree to heal Damon and even on how to enter the camp without being attacked by a bunch of angry warlocks and witches.

Once again, it was Stefan who decided what to do, "We'll walk straight in, this Cynthia is attacking Damon as a warning to us, we will go an acknowledge her warning and assure that we mean no harm to the coven,"

"How will we get her to agree to help Damon?" Elena asked skeptically.

At that Stefan's face turned pained but he attempted a smile, "We trick her," and with that he hauled Damon out of the car, along with Jeremy's help, and between the two of them they braced Damon up and began walking the trail, reluctantly followed by Bonnie and Elena.

They hadn't gone far when a slightly shrill voice rang out, stopping them in their tracks, "I wouldn't go any further, not if you want Damon to be alive at the end of this encounter,"

Stefan looked around, finally spotting a blonde figure leaning against a tree casually.

"You must be Cynthia," he said and he felt Damon stiffen beside him.

"Why yes, and you must be Stefan," she said pointing at him, "And Jeremy," point, "And Elena," Point, "And oh how cute! You brought your little Bennet witch with you! Hello Bonnie,"

The group unconsciously took a step back, feeling Cynthia's sinister presence, but Stefan stepped slightly in front of Damon, shielding him, "We've come to make a deal,"

"Well have you now?" She laughed, "And why would I want to make a deal with you? I could drop you all like flies right now if I wished, I seriously doubt that you could possibly have anything of interest to me,"

Stefan cleared his throat, trying to be unphased by her speech, "You return Damon's healing powers and remove your hold on him and we will leave you in peace,"

Cynthia laughed again, "Oh I don't think so darling, you see this way I still get my peace as well as my hold over you brother, because there is nothing that you, or your worthless humans, or your little witch can do about it. So unless you want to watch Damon have another seizure, I suggest you leave while you still can,"

Stefan stepped forward, a growl practically ripping from his throat but Cynthia wasn't intimidated, "I'm serious love, I can give you all brain aneurisms and that would probably be fatal for your precious friends," and she gestured at Jeremy and Elena. Her smile grew even bigger, "Or I can just do this," and she snapped her fingers.

Immediately Damon fell to the ground between Jeremy and Stefan, clutching his middle and gasping. He coughed harshly and blood splattered the dust. Both Jeremy and Stefan crouched beside him and Stefan snarled, "Stop it now!" But Cynthia didn't stop. Her fingers slowly curled in to create fists and her sadistic grin continued to grow. Damon dissolved into sobs that wracked his entire body and tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Aren't we having so much fun?" Cynthia asked.

Stefan sprang at her but he was too slow, she dissipated only to reappear a few feet away. He whirled around to yell at her, "You don't know what you're doing or who you're dealing with! WE may not be able to do anything but there are others. And we're with them. And they will kill you!"

Cynthia cocked her head, intrigued, "And who might that be honey?"

"Originals," Stefan said.

He saw the fear spark in her eyes momentarily but she pushed it away quickly, "And why would the originals help you? Last time I checked they hated both you and your brother,"

Stefan glanced at Damon who was still lying on the ground, crying silent tears and hemorrhaging, blood steadily flowing from his mouth.

"Well let's just say that we've been useful to Klaus,"

Cynthia chuckled, "Oh baby, you mean you've been used by Klaus. That doesn't make you valuable, that just makes you expendable,"

"And Rebekah is… interested in my brother," Stefan added quickly, "Trust me, you don't want to piss her off,"

"He's just her plaything," Cynthia scoffed.

"Maybe so," Stefan agreed, "But you shouldn't mess with her toys. You know how she is when it comes to revenge,"

The two glared at each other for a while, Stefan trying to win the staring contest despite the cries that Damon emitted behind him. At last Cynthia looked away, "Fine, take your brother and go," she said, snapping her fingers. Damon's body went totally limp and he let out one last sob, this one being of relief.

Cynthia turned to walk away and Stefan returned to Damon's side where the girls were already kneeling, trying to offer any aid they could.

Stefan shouted at the witch's back, "Hey!"

"What?" she asked without turning around.

"Restore his healing," Stefan demanded, his voice cold and hard.

Cynthia smirked, "Not part of the deal love, ta ta now; I'm sure I'll be seeing you around."

In a flash Stefan had grabbed Damon and slammed him against a tree, breaking a limb and holding it dangerously close to Damon's heart. "Return his powers!" Stefan screamed.

"You wouldn't do it," Cynthia said confidently.

"Wouldn't I?" Stefan asked, raising the limb and preparing to plunge it into Damon's chest. Elena screamed and Jeremy tried to rush Stefan, Bonnie lept forward to attack Cynthia. But they were all too slow.

The tree branch embedded itself into Damon's chest, just below his heart and so close that is scraped. Damon gasped; his blue eyes flew open in pain and shock, in betrayal. "Wha… why?" he choked out, his hands grasping for the front of Stefan's shirt, "Stef... help…" Stefan grabbed the stake and twisted until Damon screamed and began to gag. Tears formed in both of the brothers' eyes as Stefan released his grip, allowing Damon to fall. Jeremy and Elena reached him, frantically trying to decide how to help and Elena was screaming, "Stefan how could you? Save him! Do something!"

Stefan turned to Cynthia, a look of triumph on his face, "Now you will heal him. Or else I will go to the originals and explain how you forced me to kill my brother. Now you will return his powers or he will die!"

**Sorry for the cliff hanger, but hey I had to stop this chapter somewhere. As always, please read and review, let me know what was your favorite part! Hopefully the length of this chapter will make up for the fact that it's a month late ;) **

**JustAnotherSensitiveArtist **


	11. Finale

The look on Cynthia's face was one of shock and disbelief. She stared at Stefan who stood before her shaking with barely-contained rage and then at Damon as his eyes fluttered shut and his face went slack.

"You've just killed your own brother…" she said, her voice slow and smooth, very matter-of-factly as she tried to rationalize Stefan's actions, "His death is on your hands, not mine," and she turned to go.

A broken animalistic cry ripped from Stefan's lungs and he lunged forward, grasping her long blonde hair before she could even turn back to him, and slamming her body into the ground, "You will restore his healing!"

At this Cynthia began to laugh, a slightly hysterical sound to it, "Listen vamp freak, if the originals really are on your brother's side then you just screwed us both over. Because we're both dead now,"

Stefan didn't seem to hear her; instead he brought her face close to his, shouting into it with such ferocity that she actually feared him. Spittle flecks flew into her face as he screamed, "Restore his power! And release your hold over him!"

Cynthia jerked away from Stefan, leaving him with a fist of golden hair, and then dissipated, reappearing a safe distance away, "Fine," she called back to him, "I will return his powers," and she chanted for a moment under her breath before turning to him again, "But don't expect him to live Stefan, I'm afraid you're little stunt has left him very damaged. I'd say my goodbyes if I were you, even with accelerated healing he'll probably only live a few more minutes. So you really only extended his agony. Oh, send my regards to the originals when they rip your head off, I'm afraid I won't be sticking around to see that…" and with that she disappeared.

All of the anger suddenly left Stefan. It was replaced with a feeling of desperation and fear. He flung himself towards Damon's unmoving body, a sound like a sob and a growl emitting from his throat as he hit the dirt beside his brother's still form. Hands covered Damon, trying to revive him, debating whether or not to remove the branch, fussing, and Stefan suddenly felt that it was all too much.

"Get away from him," he whispered.

Jeremy seemed to be the only one who heard him. Bonnie continued running her hands over Damon and Elena was wailing, tears streaming down her face. She glared at Stefan through them, "How could you? Do something!"

Stefan felt the anger building again, "I SAID GET AWAY FROM HIM!" he screamed, his eyes flashing as the veins appeared around them and his fangs descended. Bonnie gasped, leaping backwards and Jeremy took several steps back. Only Elena did not move.

"No," she said defiantly, almost daring Stefan to object, "He _needs us_ now. _We_ actually care about him," before she could continue she was silenced by a slap so violent that it sent her head rocking back and caused all of the humans to gasp.

Stefan barely stopped himself from striking her again. Instead he lowered his voice to a dangerous level, "You, Elena Gilbert, will not lecture me on what my brother needs, nor shall you ever presume to understand just how much I 'care' for him," Then he lowered his voice even further, "Now get out of my sight,"

Jeremy stepped forward, grabbing her around the waist and hauling her up. He and Bonnie pulled her away while she continued to scream, crying and throwing herself against them. They both tried to calm her, "Elena, stop! Stop! Stefan will take care of it,"

Finally Jeremy, frustrated and worried and exhausted, shook her and yelled, "Elena, stop! He isn't himself. Come on now. He's irrational, he could hurt all of us," And Elena finally allowed herself to be dragged down the path, watching as Damon and Stefan disappeared behind.

Stefan heard Jeremy's words and part of his mind that had gone dormant when he fought with Cynthia awakened. Yes, he was irrational and now he needed to calm down or else it would cost him his brother. He took several deep breaths and then examined Damon. He placed his hand flat on Damon's chest just above where the branch protruded and was relieved to find that his brother was still alive. Unconscious, but still alive. He let ought a breath that he had been holding: his calculations had been correct and the branch had not pierced Damon's heart as he had feared when Cynthia proclaimed that Damon was doomed.

"Okay Damon," he said gently, "We've got to get this out first," and he gestured towards the branch. Forcing himself into an artificial calm, he gripped it in both hands, giving it a vicious yank. The branch slid back with a horrid sucking noise and Damon howled in pain, his eyes flashing open and his back arching. Stefan felt sick. But the branch was still partially stuck in Damon's chest and it had to come out.

"Easy brother," Stefan said, trying to stay calm. He used his own weight to hold Damon down and took another strong grip on the branch. This time the branch came out but by the end of the ordeal Damon was crying, leaving tear streaks through the dust and blood on his face, and Stefan was panting, an overwhelming sense of guilt causing him to wish that he too could cry.

Stefan pulled Damon into his lap, wondering what he ought to do next. Damon really needed blood. He moved his hand to brush a lock of raven hair back from Damon's brow but stopped when he felt his brother cringe. Stefan looked down, surveying Damon's crystal eyes and felt his heart break. Those eyes contained nothing but fear and pain. His brother was afraid of him. The realization made him wish that someone would stake him.

"Damon…" he said quietly. Damon flinched even more and tried to curl in on himself, only stopping when the blinding agony in his chest reduced him to whimpers.

"Damon," Stefan repeated, "I'm so sorry,"

Damon's shoulders shook. He was overcome with pain, exhaustion, and fear. Stefan knew that he needed to feed to replenish the blood he had lost and he remembered Cynthia saying that Damon would not live. He had to get Damon to drink or else she would be right. Already he could see that Damon was slipping into shock.

Speaking softly and placing his hands on Damon's shoulders, Stefan practically begged, "Brother, let me help you," then he added even softer, "Please,"

Damon did not uncurl or turn towards him but his body went completely limp. Unsure whether to take this as a sign of submission or just as the effects of exhaustion, Stefan frowned but decided to take his blessings where he could get them. Gently, he took Damon's upper body in his arms and lifted, careful not to agitate the wound on Damon's chest.

He leaned Damon's head into his neck, "Drink," he ordered. But Damon made no move other than to moan. Stefan took the same branch that had been through Damon only moments before and used it to make a gash in his neck. With one arm wrapped around Damon's back he placed the other on the back of Damon's neck and guided his head down to the cut, whispering, "Come on,"

But nothing happened, Damon made no move to drink the blood that he so desperately needed and Stefan felt frustration and worry beginning to build, "_Drink_," he said harshly. A little too harshly. Frightened, Damon mistook the desperation for anger and tried to jerk away. Agony flared in his body and he let out a choked cry, falling away from Stefan.

Stefan rushed forward to catch him but Damon saw the quickly moving hands and assumed they were there to cause more pain. He put up his own arms, shielding his face, and tried weakly to scrabble backwards in the dirt, away from Stefan. But he didn't have the strength to move and so he was reduced to a quivering heap, pleading, "No… please… n-no more,"

This time Stefan did cry. He felt the tears fill his eyes, "Damon, it's alright now. I'm not going to hurt you. Please, I just want to help,"

Damon's face was ashen and one hand pressed over the wound on his chest as he panted raggedly. When Stefan moved beside him again he flinched away, "D-don't!"

Stefan ignored him, "Easy brother, just let me explain. I promise, I'm not going to hurt you,"

Confusion clouded Damon's eyes, "You already did," he stated blandly as the stress and blood loss finally took their toll on him and his eyes rolled up, disappearing in his head. This time Stefan was there, taking Damon's head and lowering it gently to the ground.

Stefan felt his own panic rising. Damon had to eat. And if he didn't get blood soon then the results could be fatal. Stefan bit into his wrist, smearing the blood on the index finger of his opposite hand and running it across Damon's pallid lips. The dark crimson was a shocking contrast, only accentuating how white Damon was growing. Still, the warmth and gentle metallic smell seemed to awaken Damon slightly. Beneath his lids his eyes fluttered and his tongue darted out, tasting the precious liquid that was his only salvation.

Damon made a small noise, a cross between a whine and a moan, and ran his tongue across his lips again. Stefan let out a sigh of relief and offered Damon his wrist but Damon did not latch on. He seemed too weak to even exert that effort. Stefan rubbed his fingers in his own blood again and slipped them into Damon's mouth, rubbing them across his gums and teeth. Damon let out another low sound but only managed to weakly suck at Stefan's fingers. His fangs did not descend nor did the veins appear around his eyes.

"Come on Damon," Stefan pleaded, "You need more blood,"

He held his bleeding wrist above Damon's mouth, letting the blood fall into his brother's mouth drip by drip. It was a maddeningly slow process and yet Stefan could not take his eyes off Damon and every time he tried to get Damon to feed on his own accord the other vampire was too dazed to understand what was required of him.

After what seemed like hours, though it was more like minutes, Stefan moved to examine Damon's chest. He pealed back his brother's blood stained shirt and looked at the horrid wound. A wound that he had created. Stefan felt bile rising in his throat but he forced it down. Gently, he traced the ragged outline of the hole, noting that at least the bleeding had stopped. But an unusual heat was still coming off Damon and Stefan felt himself wondering if Cynthia had left Damon one last gift before leaving.

Stefan decided that the best thing to do for Damon would be to get him home and get him some human blood. He picked his brother up and was reminded of the blinding terror that he had felt when he had first found an injured Damon at the grill. But even that terror had been nothing compared to how he had felt when Cynthia said that Damon would die. He had honestly believed that he had killed his brother.

And then that feeling of terror had turned to one of sadness and horrible regret when Damon, his brother and friend, had looked at him with fear and betrayal shining from his eyes. The way that Damon had tried to get away from him, how he had jerked away from Stefan's reaching hands – it was the most horrid feeling Stefan had ever been forced to endure.

Stefan felt tears forming in his eyes again and he stooped his head, kissing Damon briskly on the forehead, "I'm so sorry Damon. I promise, everything is going to be alright now. I'm going to fix this. I'm going to take care of you,"

Stefan sighed in relief when they reached the boarding house; everything seemed much better now that there was a bed and a supply of blood for Damon. He carried his brother into his own room and laid him gently on the bed. He then rushed downstairs for a blood bag, some towels, and a bowl of cold water.

He returned to the bedroom and laid everything on the bedside table, turning to Damon. He removed Damon's shirt as carefully as possible, trying not to agitate the wound. He then took a towel, wetted it, and began cleaning the blood from his brother's chest. The sounds that Damon began making reminded him again just how much he hated himself and he turned to apologize again but was silenced when he met the sight of Damon's agonized eyes.

"You're awake," he said quietly, placing a hand on Damon's shoulder, then his voice saddened, "I wish you could have stayed out for this part,"

"W-why?" Damon mumbled, the hurt is his eyes deepening.

"Because I have to clean out the gash and it's not going to be…"

Stefan was cut off when Damon whispered, "Why?" again. And suddenly it hit him. Damon wasn't asking why it would be better for him to remain asleep; he was asking why Stefan had staked him.

Now pain filled Stefan's voice, "Oh God Damon, don't think I wanted to! I had to… it was the only way to save you… I'm so sorry… I just… we had to get her to leave you alone… I'm sorry… she was going to kill you, hell she practically did every time she made you have a seizure…" and his voice broke, falling from coherency into hiccupping sobs.

Damon's face still showed only pain and fear but he nodded slightly, tried to let out a breathy laugh, which ended up being more of a moan, and whispered, "Thought… 'ws a goner…"

Stefan brought his Hand to Damon's forehead and stated with fierce determination, "No brother, you're going to be fine,"

Damon nodded weakly but gasped as Stefan brought the towel back to his injured chest, "D-dint haveta 'twis the damn b-branch,"

Stefan looked up at him, "Damon, I'm so…"

"'Srry… I know…" Damon finished for him.

"She had to believe it was real," Stefan continued, though Damon could tell that he was on the verge of crying again, "Trust me, I calculated. I played it out in my mind over and over and every single time it was worse, I can't stand what I did to you! But I also couldn't stand to lose you… And she would have killed you. I knew that I could do it, had to do it… I couldn't stand the thought of you dying…"

Stefan took a moment to collect himself, "Still, you're not out of the woods yet. We need to get some more blood into your system," he took the blood bag and placed the tubing of it to Damon's lips. Damon took a couple light sips but then leaned back and moaned.

"Come on," Stefan urged, "You need it. Between the hemorrhaging and the… the stake… you've lost a lot of blood,"

Damon shook his head, "Not feeling well," and his hands went to his stomach.

Stefan looked at him desperately, "Damon, you have to eat. You're too weak,"

Damon shook his head and offered Stefan his arm. At first the younger brother was confused but Damon smiled weakly, "Play d-doctor,"

And Damon's idea dawned on him, "Damon, I'm not even sure blood transfusions work on vampires,"

Damon shrugged slightly, "C-can't eat 't Stef,"

Stefan looked scared for a moment but then nodded, "Okay, we'll try it,"

He left the bedroom and returned with a hypodermic needle and some more tubing. He set everything up and then took Damon's arm, pulling it forward with one hand and checking the inside of his elbow for a vein. He found one and inserted the needle in expertly, flicking a valve on the blood bag that he had suspended from the bed post and watching as it traveled through the tube and into his brother's arm. Almost instantly a shudder ran through Damon and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Better?" Stefan asked.

"Better," Damon agreed.

Stefan then set about cleaning the wound again but his actions were met by a chorus of Damon's moans and groans. He cleaned the blood of the surrounding areas but noticed several splinters of wood bark lodged inside of the injury. Biting his lip, he reached into the wound, trying to ignore Damon's gasps and cries, and pulled them out until only one remained.

"Only one more," he tried to reassure but Damon only whimpered in reply and Stefan flinched. That sound was horrid and that sound should never come from his brother.

He went to Damon's head, running his fingers through his brother's hair and rubbing gentle circles on his shoulder, "We can wait if you need to,"

Damon shook his head, tears forming in his eyes, and forced his reply through gritted teeth, "Just get it out…"

Stefan nodded and returned to the task. His fingers sank into the wound, pressing into the raw flesh as he reached for the piece of bark. Damon screamed, thrashing on the bed, but at last Stefan grasped the piece between two fingers and pulled it from the wound. Damon's screams turned into exhausted sobs.

Stefan got onto the bed, sitting against the headboard, and pulled Damon against him. It was the same routine that had brought his brother comfort throughout the entire ordeal with Cynthia. It was the same thing that assured both of them that everything would be okay.

Stefan hugged Damon to him, carding through his hair and pressing a towel to the wound that, thanks to the removal of the wood, already looked better. Damon's sobs dwindled to heavy breathing and for a moment everything was still and quiet.

"'S over?" Damon asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Yes, it's all over now. Everything is going to be okay,"

Damon seemed to sink further into Stefan's chest.

"Listen Damon, I…"

Damon took Stefan's hand and placed it directly over the wound, pressing it down with his own hand, "Not your fault," then he moved both of their hands, this time pressing against his heart, "I'm alright," and then he added playfully, "You missed,"

Stefan laughed but pressed his hand harder against Damon's heart, flooded with an overwhelming sense of relief; he had done it. He had saved Damon. They laid on the bed in silence for a while, Stefan constantly checking the I.V. of blood and Damon breathing slowly, so as not to disturb his now-healing chest. Stefan watched Damon as sleep slowly began to overcome him. Damon's eyes became hooded and his head lolled to the side. Stefan smiled, pulling the comforter over both of them.

A drowsy Damon smiled too, "Ringraziarla,"

Stefan felt his heart swell, "Fratello, l'amo,"

And in that moment, as both brothers fell asleep illuminated by the soft glow of a sunset that signaled the end of another day just outside the Salvatore's window, everything was right with the world.

**Ringraziarla – Thank You**

**Fratello, l'amo – Brother, I love you**

**Sorry, I hope my Italian in this story is correct. I had to use a translator as, unfortunately, I do not speak Italian. I hope you enjoyed the finale of Sunset Trails. As always, please read and review. A huge thanks goes out to those of you who have stuck it out until the very end!**

**JustAnotherSensitiveArtist **


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